Football Association agrees to anti-racism plan

Professional clubs across England have been warned that they will face
sanctions for failing to deal with racial abuse by players, coaches or their
fans as part of new proposals to fight discrimination.

Step in right direction: FA have approved proposals to help stamp out the resurgence of racism Photo: PA

The Football Association has also promised to strive for at least 10 per cent of referees and level-one coaches to come from ethnic minority backgrounds. Players and coaches arriving from abroad will have to undergo mandatory induction lessons to ensure they are aware of the “British cultural environment”. Clubs will also be encouraged to make it as easy as possible for players or staff to report, in confidence, incidents of discrimination.

The plan, which has been agreed by the FA, Premier League, Football League, Professional Footballers’ Association and League Managers’ Association, follows a Downing Street summit in February amid the allegations of racial abuse against Luis Suárez and John Terry.

“This is a commitment on behalf of English football to ensure the game is inclusive and free of discrimination,” David Bernstein, the FA chairman, said.

The plan states that the FA would work with “the Premier League and Football League to sanction clubs who repeatedly fail to sanction their employees, who breach their contract or code of conduct, or deal inadequately with fans in relation to discriminatory language or behaviour”.

The FA said the plan should be implemented immediately and certainly be under way by next season. The FA will set up a board to oversee the plan, which will also call on Uefa to consider “minimum standard codes of conduct” as part of its club licensing system.

Bernstein also revealed that the FA’s general secretary, Alex Horne, met Uefa president Michel Platini to discuss the £65,000 fine given to the Serbian FA racial abuse and violence at the end of the England Under-21 game in Krusevac in October. Bernstein reiterated that the FA regarded the sanction as “dramatically lenient”.

An FA working group is also finalising the implementation of a minimum five-match ban for racial or homophobic abuse, with Bernstein saying that it was close to a decision.